


Siblings

by Storyteller_of_the_Forest



Series: When the Dust Settles [5]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gamora definitely needs a hug, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, I don't do downbeat endings, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Nebula also needs a hug, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Sort of a fix-it, Temporary Character Death, Thor (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 14:24:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14750576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storyteller_of_the_Forest/pseuds/Storyteller_of_the_Forest
Summary: When Gamora returns to life, she feels anger and pain. Reuniting with her sister, she dives right into the war. In the aftermath, seeing all the grief and hurt Thanos inflicted, Gamora feels hollow. She doesn't know if Nebula is going to stick around or if her relationship with her sister is salvageable. Years later, when talking with a certain god of thunder, she recalls how a conversation with a certain grieving trickster led her and Nebula to rekindle their bond.





	Siblings

**Author's Note:**

> And we've reached the end of the series. 
> 
> I absolutely love Gamora and Nebula (they're right up there with Thor and Loki). I just love siblings, particularly siblings not related by blood. I wanted to write something about how Thor and Loki affected Gamora and Nebula, because I see a lot of parallels in those relationships. People, Nebula is almost impossible to write. She is without a doubt the hardest character for me to write (and I'm sure I completely mucked her up. Apologies).
> 
> And of course, Mantis is definitely one of my all-time favorite characters in the MCU. She is just so amazing and wonderful. She's another tricky character to write, but I hope I did her some justice.
> 
> REGULAR WARNINGS
> 
> Haven't seen Infinity War and am not going to see Infinity War. I don't do romantic ships, especially not between family members. If you're into that kind of thing, go elsewhere please.
> 
> in my mind, after the battle with Thanos, Thor left the Avengers to take care of his people. The original Avengers disbanded and there's a mostly new group of superheroes taking up the mantel. I feel like the original team earned a retirement after defeating Thanos. However, they all still keep in touch and visit each other on occasion.
> 
> I'm very, VERY new to writing fics. So I apologize for any mistakes, mis-characterizations, formatting errors, or just any glaring errors. Please be gentle.
> 
> Kudos and reviews are greatly appreciated. I don't own anything, obviously all characters and recognizable aspects belong to Marvel.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the story and thank you for reading.

* * *

 

Life came back to her in a painful rush. Gamora gasped and pushed herself up on her hands, sucking in air and sobbing. For a moment, she considered trying to get to her feet. Then her stomach rebelled and she vomited all over the dust beneath her. Tears continued flooding from her eyes and she couldn’t stop shaking.

Eventually, she climbed to her feet and stumbled out from the darkness she found herself in. Gamora didn’t know where to go or what to do next. She didn’t know how to contact anyone for help. She didn’t even know where she was. It was so dark. For the first time in what seemed like years, Gamora was terrified.

Just when she was beginning to try and formulate a plan, a bright spotlight shone on her. Wind whipped up her hair as a ship touched down a safe distance away. Gamora instinctively reached for her weapon only to find she was unarmed. Turning wide eyes back to where she heard the ship land and a door hiss open, Gamora prepared to go down fighting. A tall slender shadow approached, walking confidently toward her.

“Sister,” a familiar steely voice stated and Gamora stumbled, her legs almost buckling. She staggered toward the shadow, throwing her arms around her sister when she reached her. Nebula stiffened briefly, tilting her head a little.

“He…he killed me,” Gamora wept, burying her face in her sister’s shoulder. Her entire body was still shaking and her breath was coming in short gasps.

“Yes, I had assumed he did,” Nebula replied. “We must return to Terra. Something has happened. The power of the gauntlet is weakening, its damage being undone. Either Thanos has been defeated or soon will be.”

“He’ll be even more dangerous,” Gamora whispered, straightening up so that she could look at her sister. “We have to finish this fight.”

Nebula nodded and started back to the ship with Gamora following close behind. Stepping up into the ship, Gamora was surprised to find her sister had picked up a couple of Terrans, a man and a younger boy. Both were dressed in strange suits.

“They’re Terrans. They’re annoying but they have useful abilities and weaponry,” Nebula explained in her typical emotionless way.

“Hey!” the man protested.

“Terrans, meet my sister. She is also annoying with useful abilities,” Nebula said as she sat in the pilot’s seat. “And she has also recently been dead. Like the boy.”

“Hi ma’am, my name’s—” the boy started.

“Unimportant,” Nebula growled. “Buckle up if you don’t want to die.”

Gamora dropped into the co-pilot’s seat, fastening her seatbelt and then wrapping her arms around her midsection. She didn’t feel like talking. All she wanted to do was finish this damn fight. If Thanos was weakened, he was going to lash out. Chances were he would direct his fury at those who had disappointed him or those connected to people who had. She and Nebula would be at the top of that list. Gamora didn’t care. If she died again, so be it. So long as the mad titan died too.

“Let’s go kill our father,” Nebula said as she started the launch sequence.

“Don’t,” Gamora breathed the word, putting as much strength into it as she could. “Don’t call him that. He was never your father or mine. He was our captor, our torturer, nothing more.”

Nebula glanced over at Gamora and then turned back to piloting her ship. Gamora swallowed and closed her eyes. She had always thought of Nebula as her sister, but she never thought of Thanos as her father. Thanos was never a parent. He was a monster, a grotesque mockery of a parent. He was a murderer, evil through and through. He had made Gamora and Nebula do horrible things, to each other and to others, in the name of balance. She wanted to rid the galaxy of him. Even if he didn’t die by her hand, as long as he died, it was good enough for her.

They reached Terra soon enough and the scene was all out chaos. Thanos was slaughtering anyone within reach. He flung bodies across the field, using any weapon in reach to bury in his foes. He spotted Nebula’s ship and sent a blast of energy straight at them, causing the two Terrans to shriek. Nebula easily maneuvered out of the way of the beam, but it hit the wing of the ship, causing them to go into a spin.

How Nebula managed to steer them to the ground without killing them all, Gamora would never know. It was probably the roughest landing she’d ever had to endure, but they made it through in one piece. As Gamora struggled with her seatbelt, Nebula rose to her feet and moved to the back of the ship. The door was already opening with a hiss and the two Terrans bolted out, eager to join the fight against the still massive army. They most likely had friends and allies battling on the ground.

Gamora got up and turned to find herself face-to-face with her sister. Glancing down, she saw a few blades of various lengths laid across her sister’s arms.

“You’ll need weapons,” Nebula stated. “I know how fond you are of blades. These are the ones I store aboard my ship.”

Gamora swallowed and ran her fingers over the silver glistening blade of the closest sword. She glanced at her sister once more and then took the blades with a nod of gratitude. She started placing them in the scabbards she still wore.

“Wish you had a blaster or two,” Gamora mentioned and turned to find her sister offering a holster with a blaster. She smirked despite herself and took the holster, tying it to her waist. Nebula pulled out her batons and spun them once.

“Shall we finish this, sister?” she asked.

“Yes,” Gamora growled, following Nebula out into the midst of the battle. Glancing up, she noticed another ship arriving, firing upon the titan. Gamora ignored it and turned her focus to the first outrider that charged her, drawing her sword and relieving the monster of his head. She dashed after her sister, fighting with as much rage as Nebula.

_*_

They fought side-by-side, watching each other’s backs. Nebula was vicious, fighting her way all the way to Thanos. Gamora was barely able to follow her and when the titan grabbed her sister by the throat, Gamora lunged at him with a scream of rage. She stabbed and sliced at him frantically until he released Nebula and grabbed her. For a moment, Gamora was certain the titan was going to rip her in half. Then he tossed her away as though she were a child’s doll. She crashed into a few outriders and narrowly avoided being hacked to death.

A man in a similar suit to the Terran Nebula had picked up flew by and blasted away some of the outriders who were attacking her. A battle yell made Gamora duck as Nebula jumped into the fray, fighting off the other monsters who were still attacking her sister.

Very gradually, the fighting started dying down. Gamora slashed one final outrider, letting out a shout as finished him off. She was heaving for breath and fell to her knees, looking out across the field at the bodies of Thanos’ once mighty army. It was finished. They had won. She wasn’t sure how they had done it, but they had won.

“He is dead,” Nebula declared, looking off into the distance. Gamora closed her eyes, not wanting to see the mad titan ever again. She didn’t care who had done it or how they had done it. As long as he was dead, that was all that mattered.

“Gamora!”

“Oh good, it’s the gardens of the galaxy,” Nebula muttered derisively and Gamora glanced up at her with a frown. She was suddenly enveloped in a crushing hug and gasped in surprise. She leaned her head against Peter’s, feeling tears gathering in her eyes again. Another large body crashed near them and large muscular arms wrapped around them. Then a smaller figure knelt by them and wrapped her slender arms around the group. Gamora lowered her head and felt relief crash over her in waves. She buried her face in Quill’s shoulder and wept. It was finally over.

_*_

A short time later, they were inside a building housing the wounded and the fallen. The Wakandans were well-prepared for such a battle and those with healing experience cared for the casualties. As the guardians walked in, they walked past a group that was going out to retrieve someone. Gamora thought she heard Quill say something about one member of the group being Captain America, but she was only half paying attention. Gamora sat on her cot, feeling numb. It felt like she hadn’t stopped shaking since waking up and it took everything she had to hide it from her crew.

“Where’s Rocket?” she asked, frowning when she realized she hadn’t seen him or Groot. Quill looked over to her and shrugged.

“Kinda lost sight of him during the battle. Things got really crazy for a while,” Quill replied almost apologetically.

Nebula sat beside Gamora, sharpening one of her own knives. Time seemed to drift by slower than normal. The sound of a soft humming brought Gamora’s attention to the front of building. A small group was bringing in a fallen ally. Gamora watched as most of the ones she recognized as the Avengers stood up, bowing their heads, and she felt her stomach sink. The guardians all stood as well.

“Oh no,” Quill whispered when the stretcher came closer.

Gamora felt like she would be sick when Thor was brought past them. Seeing what the mad titan had done to him, the amount of pain he had inflicted on her friend, was bad enough. But Gamora looked up to the man in green and black who walked alongside the stretcher, holding Thor’s hand, and it almost brought her to her knees. The wide-eyed stare of disbelief and denial, the tears brimming in his eyes, a look she had seen in the eyes of many of Thanos’ victims in the past. _His brother, that’s Thor’s brother,_ Gamora realized and felt her own tears start to fall. Thanos had taken out his fury at Loki on Thor, made sure the god of thunder died in agony, just to punish Loki. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mantis fall to her knees and start weeping softly. After they had passed by, Gamora turned away and held a hand to her mouth, feeling like she might vomit again.

“Gamora, you okay?” Quill asked and she took a moment to gather herself.

“Fine, I’m fine,” she said, glancing over at him. “Is the Milano nearby? I’m really tired and would like to sleep. Somewhere alone and quiet.”

“Uh, yeah. It’s just outside,” Quill replied. “Mantis can show you.”

“May I come with?” Nebula asked, drawing surprised looks from Quill and Gamora. “I don’t like anyone here.”

Gamora almost laughed at the blunt statement, but instead just nodded. She would feel better having her sister nearby. Knowing that Thanos had tortured Nebula, again, just to get at Gamora made her feel ill.

She felt like she was walking in a daze as the three of them moved through the afternoon heat to the blue and orange ship. Gamora wanted to cry when she walked back inside the place she had come to view as home. A place she thought she’d never see again. She stumbled as she made her way over to her bunk, crawling into her bed and pulling the blanket over her. She was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.

_*_

The nightmares started the next night. The vivid fearsome images that would jerk her awake and leave her gasping for breath. Sometimes she cried, sometimes she just laid and watched the ceiling. Sometimes her heart would be pounding so hard that Gamora thought she would die. Again. She spent most of her time in the Milano, feeling a deep desire for the place she came to see as her home. It was where she felt safe.

Most of the other guardians busied themselves helping the Wakandans rebuild and helping take care of the wounded. Rocket dedicated himself to watching over Thor’s brother, Loki. None of them knew why and let him cope in whatever way he wanted. He would drop by the ship to pick up more projects to busy himself with and then disappear off to the huts by the river. Sometimes Groot went with him, but often the young tree would just wander off to explore their new surroundings.

Gamora thought she was alone in the Milano, but started spotting her sister around the ship. She soon realized that Nebula didn’t leave the ship either, remaining close by. It was…comforting. Though Gamora did wonder why Nebula didn’t explore a bit. Her sister was still a complete mystery to her.

“Will you stay?” Gamora asked Nebula one afternoon as they sat in the pilot and co-pilot’s seats. “When we leave, will you stay with us?”

Nebula looked at her, squinting. “Why?”

Gamora licked her lips. “I don’t like the thought of you being alone. And…I’d like it if you stayed. I’ve missed you, Nebula.”

Nebula looked back to her weapon and shrugged, not responding. Gamora looked back out the window. She wanted to cry and she wasn’t entirely sure why.

_*_

It was Rocket who suggested they invite Loki to the Milano for a meal or coffee, something along those lines. The god was still broken, which didn’t surprise Gamora at all. Thanos knew how to completely shatter a person. When you thought it couldn’t possibly get any worse, the titan would find a way to do so. The thought that he was still inflicting pain from beyond the grave made Gamora feel sick. She wanted to heal whatever wound he left, if only to defy him again. She wanted to scrub the universe of his poison.

Nebula apparently shared her train of thought and she had readily agreed to invite Loki over. The other Guardians seemed rather surprised by her agreement, but Gamora wasn’t. Nebula wanted to destroy Thanos as much as she did. Perhaps for different reasons, but her sister wanted to eradicate all traces of the monster who had tormented them their entire lives.

When Quill went down to invite Loki to the Milano, Gamora thought about all the stories Thor had told them during his brief time on their ship. It was the only time the god had a twinkle in his eye. It was when Gamora saw the person she assumed Thor used to be, before he had crossed paths with Thanos. He had adored his brother, thought the world of him. That light only dimmed when he spoke of Loki after Thanos had gotten ahold of him, after he had tortured the trickster. Thor had asked Gamora about what the titan might have done to his younger brother and she hated telling him, watching how his face crumpled again. Later, she bonded with Thor over having a wayward sibling who was often a complete mystery. Glancing over at her sister, Gamora mused on how much she probably had in common with Loki.

Thor had never given up hope for his brother. He had never given up hope that Loki might have miraculously survived. _He’s my brother. I could not give up on him even if I wanted to,_ Thor told her once and she understood. Gamora felt the exact same way about Nebula. They were two halves, never complete without the other. She didn’t want to give up on her sister and vowed to never abandon her again.

It was a few days before Loki took them up on their invitation. Their company seemed to do him good. When he arrived, he still looked as though he were in a state of shock. The weight of grief made his steps heavy. His face reflected the horrors he had witnessed and he seemed ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. Gamora admired him for taking a chance and coming to the Milano. Had Thanos killed her sister, Gamora didn’t know if she would have been able to take up such an invitation. Thor had told them that his brother was stronger than he looked and Gamora could appreciate that now.

They had lunch and coffee, lots of coffee at Quill’s insistence, and spoke fondly of the god of thunder. They regaled Loki with a number of stories, everything they could remember about Thor’s short time with them. Gamora found herself laughing and smiling, enjoying the company and overall mood. It felt like old times, before Thanos had disturbed their lives. Glancing over at her sister, who sat across from her, Gamora noticed a small smirk playing on her lips every now and again. Even Loki smiled a little. The tension gradually left his wiry body and he started to seem more at ease. He even pulled out a journal and started writing down the stories they told him.

They talked for hours and then Quill and Drax went to retrieve the truly absurd amount of coffee Quill had insisted on purchasing. Gamora rolled her eyes just thinking about how much they were going to bring back and pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to figure out where they would store it. Between Quill and Rocket, Gamora was amazed they had any room to move around on the ship.

She started for the entrance of the ship, desiring to feel the cool Wakandan breezes on her face.

“I am sorry for the loss of your brother.”

Gamora frowned and looked over her shoulder, creeping back to the corner she had just turned. She was surprised to see Nebula had changed seats so that she was sitting next to Loki, who was writing something in his journal. The trickster looked over at her. He hadn’t spoken much during his time with them, which didn’t surprise Gamora. The poor man still looked incredibly broken and lost. It was obvious that he missed his brother. She swallowed, pressing her back against the wall, so she was hidden. She wanted to be prepared to step in if Nebula got too blunt. Peering around the corner, Gamora watched the two in the main area of the Milano.

Loki studied Nebula’s blue face briefly. Then he looked back at the page, scribbling the last part of the sentence he had been writing.

“I did not meet your brother. But I watched some of the footage his allies filmed of the final battle,” Nebula continued. “Thor fought bravely and inflicted a great amount of pain on Thanos. He wasn’t afraid, not even when he was mortally wounded.”

Loki’s head jerked up and he stared at her. She met his gaze and didn’t look away.

“I never saw anyone who didn’t beg Thanos for mercy, even when faced with death,” she mentioned. “Even when enduring a great amount of pain. It was…impressive.”

“My brother was always a heroic fool, even in the face of certain death,” Loki said and it would have sounded bitter were it not for the slight quiver in his voice. Nebula looked at him, examining the dark-haired god.

“Do you regret it?” she asked and Gamora frowned, wondering what her sister was asking. Even Loki seemed incredibly confused.

“Pardon?” he asked. “Do I regret what?”

“Do you regret having a brother?”

A strange sharp smile played on Loki’s lips for a moment and he opened his mouth as if to respond with a cutting remark. Then, his face seemed to crumple into an expression of pain and he closed his journal, running his hand over it and clearing his throat. He looked on the verge of tears and Gamora’s heart ached for him.

“If you had asked me a few years ago, I probably would have said yes. Gods, if you had asked me a month ago, I might have said yes,” Loki replied, letting out his breath slowly. “But…it would have been a lie. Thor was my brother, he was always my brother, and that has always been the truth. It’s just now, now when it’s too late, that I realize it. I don’t regret having a brother. I never have. No matter how much Thor annoyed me or infuriated me, I still loved him. It was an honor having him as a brother, watching him mature into the man he became.”

Loki turned tearful eyes to Nebula. “I loved my brother. Even when he was at his worst, I loved Thor. And…I think he probably felt the same, no matter how damn foolish it was. Thor never disowned me. He always saw me as his brother. That’s probably what wound up getting him killed. Such is the curse of being a sibling, I guess.”

Nebula squinted at him. “Even though your love for each other made you both vulnerable to Thanos, you don’t regret it? He used you both to harm the other.”

Loki frowned and swallowed, picking at the edge of his journal. “Perhaps. But…I think Thor’s unfailing and naïve love, for me and for the people of this world, might have also given him the strength to keep fighting Thanos. The fool thought he was avenging me while he was also saving the galaxy.”

“And your love for him?”

The trickster god looked back at her. “It’s why I came back, why I found the courage to face the one I feared the most. I did it in the hopes of protecting my brother.”

Loki turned his eyes to his feet, his brow furrowing. “Thor and I weren’t often at peace. We fought more often than not, spit venom at each other frequently. I daresay I hurt Thor more often than he hurt me. I was able to hurt him more than any enemy ever could. And through a number of poor decisions, I brought Thanos down upon our heads. Yet he still tried to protect me. He still grieved me.

“When I found him on the battlefield, he was in pain. Thor was in more pain than I’d seen him in for some time, perhaps ever. So, I did what I could to alleviate it. It could never make up for all the years of fights and betrayals, but…but I hope I helped ease his passing at the end. I hope I was able to take away some of my brother’s pain.”

The two were quiet for a moment and Loki looked as though he were about to get up.

“Gamora is in pain, I think,” Nebula murmured, drawing Loki’s attention back to her. “I thought it would be more satisfying. But it’s not. My sister doesn’t sleep peacefully. Thanos killed her in order to retrieve the last stone, but I found her once the damage from the gauntlet started being undone. Yet she still doesn’t sleep well. I do not understand why.”

Loki scratched the back of his head. “I am the last person who should ever offer advice to anyone. But, if I had my brother back, I wouldn’t waste the opportunity. I’d tell him how much he meant to me. I would try to be the brother I should have been, the one Thor deserved.

“Lady Nebula, I would give anything to have Thor back. Do not make the same mistake I did. Do not waste the time you have with Gamora. Don’t take each other for granted.”

Nebula was quiet as she studied the trickster. After a moment, she stood up and walked off, heading for the ramp. Gamora quickly hurried from her hiding place to sit near the entrance of the ship. Pulling out a knife and a whetstone, Gamora focused on sharpening the blade. She glanced up and smiled at Nebula as she passed by. Nebula didn’t react, moving off across the dusty land and disappearing around a corner.

Glancing up when Loki started down the ramp, Gamora bit her lower lip, debating about what to say.

“He knew you loved him, you know,” she said, drawing Loki’s attention to her. “Thor did know that you loved him, Loki.”

Loki offered her a watery smile. “I thank you for your kindness, lady Gamora. I wish I shared your surety, but I fear I betrayed Thor too many times for that to be true.”

Gamora smiled as she looked at him. “My sister and I were raised to kill each other. We have stabbed each other in the back too many times to count, often literally, but…in some weird, nonsensical way, I know that she loves me. In her own strange way, Nebula has always loved me and I her. You may have been terrible to each other, but somewhere deep down, you and Thor always loved each other. And I know that Thor knew that. He told me as much.”

She lowered the knife she was sharpening, watching Loki as he looked off into the distance, tears brimming in his eyes. “Thanos cannot take your memories of Thor nor your love for your brother. That was something that infuriated him beyond reason because he could never experience love himself. No matter what he did, Thanos could never extinguish love. When Thor attacked him, shouting your name, it showed Thanos that he hadn’t taken everything from you. Your brother still loved you, still believed in you. Thor wouldn’t let Thanos steal his younger brother from him. Hold onto your memories, Loki, and you will have won a victory over Thanos. He couldn’t take you from Thor. You mustn’t let him steal Thor from you.”

Loki looked down to his feet, closing his eyes briefly. “Lady Gamora, I hope you will follow your own advice as well. Don’t take the time you have with your sister for granted. You never know how much or how little you have.”

Gamora nodded, offering him a sympathetic smile. He stood off to the side, watching as Quill and Drax returned with crates of coffee. Loki watched them and Gamora couldn’t help but notice how lonely he looked. It was exactly how his brother looked when he travelled with them. She imagined that she looked very similar when she had been separated from her sister. Perhaps Nebula looked similar all those years Thanos kept her in his captivity.

_*_

They left a few days later. Much to her chagrin, Gamora continued experiencing vivid nightmares. She had hoped returning to the familiarity of space would alleviate her sleeping troubles. Everyone else seemed to be recovering well and moving past the nightmare with Thanos. They had a few potential bounties, but were in no hurry to start working again so soon after the war.

Late one night, Gamora jerked awake and was surprised to find a familiar robotic arm wrapped around her. Turning over slightly, she found Nebula had climbed into bed with her and appeared to be sleeping peacefully. It was something she hadn’t done since they were very young. Before they had been pitted against each other in a cruel battle of life and death.

“Go back to sleep, sister,” Nebula whispered. “Thanos can no longer harm us. He is dead.”

Gamora smiled. “Are you staying then?”

Nebula nodded. “For now. I have nowhere else to go.”

“You’ll always have a home with us, Nebula. With me,” Gamora whispered and Nebula opened her eyes, studying her sister for a moment. Gamora grinned and kissed her sister’s brow then put her hand over Nebula’s. She closed her eyes and took comfort in her sister’s nearness, drifting off into an easy sleep.

_*_

A few years later, when the Guardians visited Earth again, Gamora found herself sitting on a bench outside the Odinsons modest home with Thor. Earlier, the brothers and Brunhilde had shown them around New Asgard. The crew had been on their best behavior, even Rocket. Then again, Gamora would have been rather impressed if the raccoon could get away with anything with the actual god of mischief watching him.

Gamora closed her eyes and felt the clean air sweep over her, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. She could hear the sound of the card game being played inside. The Valkyrie fit right in with the occasionally rowdy Guardians. Bruce Banner had met up with them for dinner, but had to return home once they were done as the doctor had a busy day in the morning.

All things considered, it was a relatively uneventful evening. Gamora was impressed with the life the Odinsons had managed to build for their people and for themselves. They both seemed content in their lives and Gamora was glad. If anyone deserved a break, it was the Asgardians.

“I am pleased to see you at peace, Lady Gamora,” Thor mentioned and Gamora grinned as she looked over at him.

“I was going to say the same thing about you,” she admitted. “You and Loki have built a great life here. I was concerned about him when we left. He was still grieving you and I know you told me that he was strong, but I also knew Thanos was well practiced in breaking things.”

Thor swallowed and looked off into the distance. “He came close, much too close to destroying my brother. But Loki is stronger than most realize. Stronger than me sometimes, though he doesn’t realize it. I fought hard to return to my brother and when I came home to New Asgard, Loki had built a solid foundation. I knew he would be able to.”

“I still can’t believe any of us survived,” Gamora admitted. “When you live with a monster for so long, he starts to seem invincible. Every waking moment is nothing but fear and dread. You don’t think it will ever end. Once Thanos fell, part of me was scared to believe it to be true.”

Thor nodded. “When I was finally able to return to New Asgard, I was unable to sleep peacefully or sometimes at all. Whenever I closed my eyes, I kept reliving that last fight, when it was going poorly or the look on my brother’s face as Thanos strangled him or how scared Loki looked when he found me on the battlefield. Thanos was gone and yet his shadow still seemed to fall over our lives.”

“How did you get through it?” Gamora asked, leaning back on the bench. Thor looked at her and grinned.

“I had my brother and my old shield-brothers,” Thor said. “I still have trouble sleeping sometimes. When the memories are too much, I speak to Loki or a member of the Avengers. Surrounding myself with good people, good friends, is the best remedy.”

“It really is. After the war ended, I had many nights where I had trouble sleeping. But my sister offered great comfort, knowing she was safe and with me again reminded me that Thanos was truly gone.”

Thor smiled and Gamora folded her legs up under her. She enjoyed the nights on Terra. They weren’t as pretty as the endless stars of space, but there was something rather charming about them. Terra had its own unique color scheme, its own unique beauty, and Gamora found she loved it.

“We are lucky to have our siblings returned to us,” Thor said. “When I was recovering, I swore that if I survived, I would return to Loki and never leave again. I failed to look out for my brother too many times in the past. I would not mourn Loki again, wouldn’t regret not telling him how much he meant to me. I didn’t want to regret things unsaid anymore.”

A faint smile played over Gamora’s face. “He said something similar, when we spoke to him after you fell in battle. My sister asked if he regretted having a brother and Loki responded that he didn’t, he never had.”

Thor turned his eye to her, his face reflecting surprise. Gamora’s smile widened and she looked out to the twinkling lights of New Asgard.

“I think your brother’s words, his love for you, are what helped my sister and I reconcile. He told both of us not to take the time we have for granted,” Gamora told him. “I’m sure you already know this, but Loki loves you, Thor. He may have a hard time expressing it, but your brother does love you.”

“I know. It has taken me a while to recognize it, but I know that he does,” Thor admitted. “He doesn’t need to say it. He shows it in different ways. I think that’s why he and Mother were always close. Our Mother was much better at recognizing subtler displays and acts of love than father and I ever were. Gods, I wish she were alive to see this. She always dreamed of Loki and me working together, ruling together.”

“She must have been a remarkable woman to have two such incredible sons,” Gamora said with a small grin.

“Our mother was the best, the wisest of us all. Loki and I miss her every day,” Thor said, a hint of sadness entering his voice. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his legs, pressing his hands together. “I had a lot of time to think, while I was healing and recovering my strength. My thoughts often went back to my Mother and Loki. Mother always accepted Loki for who he was, flaws and strengths. She loved my brother for who he was. I think one of my greatest mistakes was that I only ever saw my brother’s flaws in our younger years and I think Loki made the same error. And as a result of it and our pride, we very nearly lost each other.”

Gamora licked her lips. “I fear I made a similar mistake with Nebula. To be under Thanos’ control, I only ever saw others as a threat to my life. My sister was only ever my competition, a threat that I had to defend myself against. I didn’t even realize he was mutilating her every time she lost a fight against me until years later. Yet she still came back for me during that last fight. She didn’t have to, but she did.”

“Perhaps you helped her realize she wasn’t as bad as she had always been led to believe. I’ve heard siblings are good at that.”

Both Thor and Gamora looked up to where Loki was standing in the now open door. A smirk was playing on his face and he leaned against the doorframe, no trace of tension in his body. After a moment, Loki pushed off the door and sauntered over, sitting on the arm of the bench next to Thor. The god of thunder smiled at his brother.

“How long have you been eavesdropping?” Thor asked. Loki let out a huff of a laugh, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Not overly long, sadly. The card game started to get loud, so I wandered out here. I blame Brunhilde,” Loki explained, glancing over his shoulder when the door opened again. Nebula stalked out of the house. She noticed the group and made her way over to them, sitting down in front of the bench, near Gamora.

“I’m sure my crew is contributing their fair share,” Gamora said. A raucous round of cheering from inside the house seemed to punctuate her point.

“They’re annoying,” Nebula grumbled and Gamora shook her head, smiling faintly. She had come to accept her sister’s bristly personality. Sometimes she was difficult to decipher, but Nebula was her sister and Gamora loved her as such.

“I never had a chance to thank you, Loki,” Gamora mentioned, drawing the trickster’s attention to her. “For what you said to me and to Nebula. It helped us find our way back to each other.”

Loki lifted his chin ever so slightly in acceptance. “It was no trouble, lady Gamora. I owe you and the Guardians a great debt for looking out for Thor in my absence.”

“After you faked your death a third time?” Thor teased, nudging his leg.

“Firstly, it wasn’t exactly faked. Faking implies some sort of planning. I survived through pure luck and chance. Secondly, it was only the second time. As I’ve told you before, the Bifrost barely counts as half,” Loki sniffed. Both Gamora and Nebula turned bewildered eyes to the two brothers.

“How do you half fake your death?” Nebula asked, squinting.

“You can’t, he didn’t, he faked his death three separate times,” Thor insisted.

“Two and a half. The Bifrost doesn’t count because there wasn’t a body and at no point did I actually die during that fall,” Loki replied. “Just because you believe something fatal doesn’t mean it actually is.”

Gamora laughed at the playful banter between the brothers. Even though they were bickering, there was a light in their eyes that Gamora hadn’t seen when she’d first met both of them. The difference was remarkable. Thor and Loki were happy.

Later that night, after an excessive amount of celebrating, the Guardians were sprawled over the furniture in the Odinsons’ house, sleeping soundly. Rocket was curled up on a recliner with Groot curled up with him. Drax stretched out across a few kitchen chairs. Peter was sprawled on the floor, using his coat as a pillow. Brunhilde was sleeping on her stomach on the couch. Nebula had the strangest spot by far. She was asleep on the stairs, alternating between stretching her body out over multiple stairs and just laying length-wise on one. Her sister had always been able to sleep in strange places and positions.

Gamora smiled as she walked through the space, making sure everyone was accounted for. They would be leaving in a couple days and she knew she’d miss New Asgard as well as their Terran friends. Still, there was a part of her that longed for the vastness of space.

“They’re so happy.”

Gamora turned, noticing Mantis sitting at the bottom of the steps and smiling. Her large black eyes were fixed on the main area of the home. Gamora followed her gaze to where Thor was sleeping with his back against the couch, one of his large arms thrown around Loki, holding him close. The dark-haired trickster was sleeping peacefully as was his brother.

“Their hearts beat together again, the same rhythm. They feel whole once more,” Mantis continued. “Loki chases away Thor’s bad memories and fear and pain. Thor does the same for him.”

Mantis looked up at Gamora, beaming. “They remind me of you and Nebula. One is not complete without the other. You’re most powerful when you’re together.”

Gamora looked back to the brothers, smiling when Thor held Loki closer. She silently walked into the room and grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch, draping it over the two brothers. She smoothed it over Loki’s shoulder and he sighed in his sleep, nestling closer to his brother.

“They defied death and returned to each other,” Gamora whispered, glancing over her shoulder when Mantis approached. “That’s a special bond.”

The empath knelt down and ran her hands through Thor and Loki’s hair, her antennae glowing briefly. Gamora smiled, knowing Mantis was assuring their sleep would be peaceful that night.

Mantis grinned and looked over at her. “You also defied death and returned to your sister.”

Gamora laughed softly. “I suppose I did.”

The two women walked back over to the steps, where Nebula was fast asleep. Glancing at her sister, Gamora noticed her twitch slightly and go rigid. Before she could do anything, Mantis reached over and gently ran her hand over Nebula’s head. The empath’s antennae glowed again and after a moment, Nebula relaxed completely, drifting back into a peaceful sleep.

“I wish I had brothers and sisters,” Mantis whispered as she looked back at Gamora. “I might have, once, but I don’t anymore. I would like to experience that kind of bond.”

Gamora leaned over and kissed Mantis’ temple. “You’re part of our family, Mantis. You can think of us as your siblings.”

Mantis’ smile widened if possible and she leaned against Gamora, who put an arm around her. In the dark, her antennae glowed faintly.

“They’ll never be separated again,” Mantis whispered as she looked back to Thor and Loki. “They are home at last.”

Gamora nodded and yawned, feeling sleep creeping up on her. She glanced over her shoulder to where her sister was sleeping peacefully, a look of contentment on her face. She remembered Thor telling her that Asgard wasn’t a place it was a people. Gamora believed the same was true about a home.

Thor and Loki had finally found home. Gamora moved over to where Nebula was sleeping, curling up next to her sister. Feeling Mantis snuggle up beside her on her other side, Gamora smiled faintly. She soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber, one arm around Nebula and Mantis’ arm around her. Gamora felt content and knew that she had also finally found home.

 

 

**_The End_ **


End file.
